


Lee Alone

by OnceAndAlwaysEnglishMajor



Series: Naruto Drabbles [3]
Category: Naruto, Naruto Shippuden
Genre: M/M, Single parent Rock Lee
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-14
Updated: 2017-10-14
Packaged: 2019-01-16 23:12:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,853
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12352506
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OnceAndAlwaysEnglishMajor/pseuds/OnceAndAlwaysEnglishMajor
Summary: A baby is left on Rock Lee's doorstep and completely turns his life upside down.





	Lee Alone

     A thin wail woke Rock Lee. He scrambled out of bed, wincing as his bare feet hit the cold wood floor. He opened the door to look for the source of the noise. A small, blanket wrapped bundle lay in front of his door.  
     “There is no way someone left a baby on my doorstep,” Rock muttered to himself. The bundle let out another wail. Rock scooped the child up. A note crinkled against his bare chest. Rock moved back into his apartment, still trying to quiet the child. He gingerly shifted the baby enough to remove the paper pinned to the front of the plain green blanket the baby was wrapped in.

 _Rock Lee of the Leaf,_  
 _Do you remember the mission to the Land of Mist almost a year ago? Well, this is your son. I cannot be an effective ninja and a mother as well, and I chose not to let one discretion derail my life. The child is a month old, and he is your responsibility now. Please, don’t try to contact me_.

     The letter wasn’t signed, but Rock knew who it was from. He did remember the mission to the Mist. He remembered bright eyes and a quick smile and a single night after a near death fight. And he remembered waking up alone, not even a note. He remembered calls and letters ignored, until he stopped trying to contact her.  
     “What am I going to do with you?” Rock asked the baby. “She didn’t even give you a name.” The baby blinked at him with dark eyes. Very gently, Rock touched the baby’s dark hair, the same color as his own.  
     “You really are mine,” he whispered. “What am I going to do?” He started mentally listing the things a baby would need. A crib, diapers, clothes, a name… At least it was a place to start. He didn’t even know what all you needed to take care of a baby. Rock took several deep breaths to calm himself.  
     “Let’s go talk to Guy-sensi,” Rock said to the baby. “He always has good advice! He will be able to help us.” He nodded in decision. “At this time of day, Guy-sensi should be at the training grounds. We will look for him there.” Moving carefully, he laid the baby on his bed and rummaged for a clean jump suit. The baby started to cry again once out of Rock’s arms.  
     “It will be all right,” Rock reassured the child. “I will pick you up again as soon as I am dressed!” He struggled quickly into a mostly clean jumpsuit. Carefully, he picked the baby up again.  
     “I am not even sure how to hold you,” Rock muttered. He had held his friends’ children on occasion, but always under the careful supervision of their mothers. But this child’s mother hadn’t wanted him, hadn’t wanted Rock.  
     “We will figure this out on our own!” Rock told the baby. “And I will never, ever leave you,” he said, as close to a whisper as his voice ever got. “Now, let us find Guy-sensi!”

     Guy-sensi was doing hand stand push-ups when Rock Lee reached the training ground. Usually he would shout across the space to get his sensi’s attention, but the baby had fallen asleep in their walk to the training ground, and Rock didn’t want to wake him up. It took a couple minutes for Guy to notice him.  
     “Rock! Come join me! It’s been ages since we worked out together!” Guy called. Rock shook his head, gesturing with his chin to the baby in his arms. Guy flipped onto his feet and walked over to Rock.  
     “Babysitting today?” Guy asked. Rock shook his head.  
     “Um, no, sensi. Actually that is what I wanted to talk to you about…” The smile slipped from Guy’s face.  
     “What’s going on? You know you can talk to me about anything,” Guy said, much quieter than his normal volume. Rock handed his sensi the note that came with his child. Guy read it quickly, his face serious.  
     “It was only once,” Rock told his sensi miserably. “I did care for her, sensi. I did try to be a gentleman, to embody the power of youth and love!” Guy clapped his hand on Rock’s shoulder with with enough force to knock any other ninja off their feet.  
     “I believe you, Lee. What are you going to do now?” Guy asked. Rock shrugged.  
     “Raise him. He is my child, and I will not abandon him! No matter what!” Rock’s lower lip trembled as he fought back tears, but his eyes were fierce. Guy wrapped an arm around his pupil’s shoulders, careful not to jostle the baby.  
     “That’s my boy! What a strong and responsible man you’ve grown into!” Guy was crying by now.  
     “Do not cry, Guy-sensi! You will make me cry as well! I will take all of the lessons I have learned from you over the years, and I will endeavor to be the best father I can be!” This only made Guy cry harder.  
     “I'm so proud of you!” Guy cried.  
     “But sensi,” Rock said, trying to get his mentor back on track, “I do not know how to take care of a baby.”  
     “Well, so many of you kids have children of your own now, it's practically a village wide project at this point,” Guy said.                               “But I would start by talking to Kurenai. She might still have some things, if she didn't give them all to Shikamaru.”  
     “I will start there,” Rock said. Guy started to tear up again.  
     “I believe in you! You have the power of youth on your side!”  
     “Thank-you, Guy-sensi! I will not let you down!”  
     “Oh, Rock! Before you leave, what’s his name?” Rock paused.  
      “He- he doesn’t have one yet, sensi. His mother did not leave him with one, and I am uncertain what to call him.” The tears started in Guy’s eyes again.  
     “You’ll figure it out. You’re going to be a great father, Rock Lee.”  
     “I will do my very best, Guy-sensi. I will not disappoint you, and I will not let my son down.”

     Rock made his way through town, toward Kurenai’s house. He could feel the eyes of the village on him, but there was no judgement, not yet. It was too early for the rumors to have started, though Rock Lee knew they would. How could they not? Everyone’s lives were under scrutiny in the village. Rock vowed that he would never say anything negative about the boy’s mother, and he would do his best to protect his son from any hurtful comments. The baby started to fuss as he knocked on Kurenai’s door.  
     “Rock! To what do I owe the pleasure?” She asked. Rock showed her the baby in his arms, a slightly panicked look on his face as the baby started to fuss louder.  
     “Who’s baby is that?” Kurenai asked. Rock Lee shuffled uncomfortably.  
     “H-he’s mine.” Kurenai looked at the baby, then back at Rock. Even this young, she could pick out some resemblance between Rock and the child.  
     “Do you want to talk about it?” She asked the young shinobi. Rock didn’t meet her eyes.  
     “I do not know. He was… He was left on my doorstep and the mother has no wish to be involved in our lives. I do not know how to care for a baby, but I refuse to fail my son. Will… Will you help me?” Rock asked.  
     “Come in,” Kurenai said. “Have you been around kids much before?”  
     “Only a little bit,” Rock said. Kurenai settled him at her kitchen table and started making tea. The baby continued to fuss.  
     “Has he eaten recently?” Kurenai asked. Rock shook his head.  
     “Not since I got him,” Rock said. Abandoning the tea, she started digging through cupboards, muttering to herself.  
     “I’m sure I still have some bottles and formula around here somewhere. He’s probably hungry.” Rock hung his head.  
     “I will not abandon him, but I do not know how to be a good father.”  
     “Don’t beat yourself up, kid. None of us know what we’re getting into. That’s part of parenthood. And from the sounds of it, you’ve had less time to prepare than most.”  
     “I am afraid of hurting him,” Rock admitted. “Even walking to see Guy-sensi and then to you was terrifying. And I am not easily frightened. But he is so small and fragile, even to one not so strong as me.”  
     “I’ll show you how to hold him,” Kurenai said patiently. She found the bottles and formula.  
     “Rock, come over here so I can show you how to mix up the formula. I’ll send you home with what I have, but it isn’t much, so you’ll need to go shopping. I’ll help you make a list.” Kurenai spent most of the afternoon explaining how to hold the baby, how to feed him, how to burp him, how to change him, how to rock him to sleep.  
     “Do you just want to stay here for tonight?” Kurenai offered. “Just a night, to kind of walk you through it. So you don’t have to do it all by yourself. And we can go shopping in the morning. I still have a pack and play you can use for tonight and until you can get your own crib. Shika already had one from all the times he babysat Mirai,” she said with a smile. “One step at a time, all right? Even the strongest people know when to ask for help.” Rock stared at her, stared at his son held easily in her arms. Rock lowered his head to the table and sobbed. Kurenai stepped closer, gently stroking his hair while he cried.  
      “It’s all right. Honestly all parents feel like that sometimes. I know it’s overwhelming.” She continued to reassure him until Rock stopped crying and squared his shoulders.  
     “I will be all right now. Thank you for your kindness, Kurenai. We will accept your offer to stay the night. And I have decided on a name for my son: I will call him Metal. Metal Lee.”  
Kurenai placed Metal back into Rock’s arms.  
    “It suits him.”

 

     “Lord Hokage, thank you for taking the time to meet with me today.” Rock struggled to bow respectfully while balancing the infant in his arms.  
     “What did you you want to talk about, Lee?” Kakashi asked, steepling his fingers as he leaned forward across his desk.  
     “Lord Hokage, I have… Experienced a change in circumstances that you needed to be made aware of, and officially set my affairs in order.” Rock took a deep breath and shifted the baby in his arms so Kakashi could see him.  
     “This is my son, Metal. I need to make sure he will be taken care of if something happens to me on a mission,” Rock said. Kakashi gestured to Tenzo to retrieve the appropriate paperwork that would provide for the child’s care from Rock’s funds should something happen to him on a mission.  
     “Is there a mother we need to include in this paperwork?” Kakashi asked.  
     “No.” Rock shook his head. “It is just the two of us.”  
     “Very well then.”  
Rock Lee finished his paperwork and left the office. Kakashi watched him go.  
     “Well, Tenzo, how long do you think we have before Guy comes to talk to us about this? He’s going to act like the kid is his own grandson, you know.”  
     “Like you act around Boruto?” Tenzo said with studied innocence.  
     “I do no such thing!” Kakashi protested.  
     “Mmm hmm. And not long. I see Guy walking this way,” Tenzo said. Kakashi sighed and hid his face in his hands.  
     “Do I have to?” He whined.  
     “Yes, Lord Hokage, you have to.”

     Rock sighed as he left the Hokage’s office. Another conversation taken care of. He considered who he still needs to tell about his sudden change in situation, and how he can contact the people he needs to before the village rumor mill takes that power out of his hands. He grimaces. He’s been walking around with Metal for two days now, and he and Kurenai went shopping that morning. Rock was sure that the rumors were already starting to circulate. He would need to tell Tenten, as she was his teammate, and he should probably tell Naruto as well. The energetic blonde would never forgive him if he heard it from someone else. Retreating to the relative safety of his (now baby-proofed, thanks to Kurenai) apartment, Rock sent a text to Naruto and Tenten, asking them to come over. Might as well get it over sooner rather than later. And once Naruto knew, the whole village would know. But Rock knew he could count on Naruto to stand with him. Naruto never turned his back on his friends. The texts pinged back that both Naruto and Tenten could be over within an hour. Rock checked the schedule Kurenai had written out for him and stuck on the fridge, then laid Metal down in the pack and play so he could make his son a bottle. Metal fussed a little at being put down, but not too much. Rock talked to the baby as he moved around the kitchen.  
     “It is all right, my son! I am just getting your bottle ready. And I would hold you all the time, but Kurenai says that babies must be put down and allowed to cry sometimes, or they will not grow up to be strong independent children. So I must try my best to balance holding you and not holding you. I want to be the best father to you, Metal, but I will admit, I am very afraid of not doing this right.” Rock set the bottle on the table and carefully carefully lifted Metal out of the pack and play like Kurenai had taught him.  
     “I am pretty sure we both owe our lives to Kurenai at this point,” Rock told Metal. He moved slowly over to the table, lowering himself into a chair and retrieving Metal’s bottle. He took a moment to mentally rehearse the positioning Kurenai had taught him before offering Metal the bottle.  
     “Just like learning a new jutsu,” he said softly. “If we practice hard, we can master this! Right, Metal?” The baby sucked hungrily at the bottle. “The passion of youth!” Rock said softly. He adjusted his hold on Metal slightly. Who knew a baby could tax the muscles of even a ninja skilled in taijutsu such as himself? Metal finished the bottle and Rock lifted the baby to his shoulder to burp him. A series of impatient taps came from the door to his apartment. Rock moved slowly across the room, careful not to jostle Metal. Naruto had his fist up to and on the door again when Lee opened it.  
     “Oi! Bushy Brow! What’s this all about?” Naruto asked at his usual (loud) volume before he caught sight of Metal resting against Rock’s shoulder. His jaw dropped and his eyes went comically wide. Tenten shoved him into the apartment, though Rock could see the questions in her look as well.  
     “Come in,” Rock said, even though they were both in the apartment already. He shut the door behind them and shuffled uncomfortably. Now that that his friends were here, he didn’t know what to say.  
     “That’s a baby,” Naruto said, using his gift for stating the blindingly obvious. He moved closer to Lee to examine Metal. “He looks just like you, Bushy Brow. When did you have a kid? Who’s the mother?” Tenten smacked him on the shoulder.  
     “Ouch! What was that for?” He asked.  
     “Hinata would want me to,” Tenten said. “You were asking questions Rock might not want to answer.  
     “The mother… Does not wish to be involved. Here.” Rock handed Tenten the note that came with Metal. “The note is… Not public knowledge. And I would prefer to keep it that way,” Rock said. “Metal has me now, and we will figure this out!” Tenten’s eyes narrowed as she read the note, her lips pursed. Naruto was actually growling as he read over her shoulder.  
     “I have already decided that I will not speak negatively of Metal’s mother,” Rock warned, pretty sure he heard Naruto mutter something about ‘murder’ under his breath. “Metal is here now, and I am going to take care of him, and that is all that matters!” Naruto cocked his head to the side, eyes darting around the apartment.  
     “How long?” He asked. “Do you have everything you need? Boruto’s a bit older, we could probably send some clothes and things your way,” he offered.  
     “Two days,” Rock said, “and I would appreciate that. Kurenai helped me get set up, but,” he shrugged, carefully, because Metal had fallen asleep on his shoulder. “I am still very new to this.” Naruto nodded and sent a quick text message, probably to Hinata.  
      “Who knows?” Tenten asked, her face still unreadable.  
     “You two, Guy-sensi, Kurenai, and Lord Hokage,” Rock said. “That is who I have told about the situation. But it is only a matter of time before the whole village is aware. But that is ok!” Rock said. He knew the situation would cause rumors, that it might reflect poorly on him. But he would take responsibility for his actions, and he would not be ashamed of his son!  
     “Can I hold him?” Naruto asked. Rocked nodded and Naruto stepped closer. Lee wasn’t sure how to transfer Metal to Naruto, but the blonde ninja had no trouble moving Metal from Rock’s shoulder to his own arms. Rock was struck again by how much his friend had grown up over the years. Naruto was mumbling to Metal in baby talk, and without his son, Rock was suddenly unsure what to do with himself. He moved to clean up Metal’s bottle and Tenten followed him into the kitchen.  
     “Are you really doing ok?” She asked. Rock nodded slowly.  
     “I think so? I know it’s not going to be easy, but, he’s mine, Tenten. There is no doubt about that. And I can handle the judgement for how he was born, I just don’t want it to hurt him, and he’s so tiny, and I don’t want to hurt him, and I’ve never been responsible for someone’s life like this before.” Rock stopped, suddenly aware that he was rambling. Tenten put her hand lightly on his shoulder.  
     “You’re going to be fine, Rock. I don’t know anyone who has a better heart than you do. And there’s so many babies around these days, Metal will fit right in.” She rolled her eyes. “Who else are you going to tell?”  
     “I am not sure,” Rock said. “Honestly, I figured that by telling Naruto, the news would spread to the rest of our circle quickly enough.” Tenten laughed.  
     “Well, you’re not wrong about that! He can’t keep a secret for anything. I swear, Hinata was the only one in the entire village who didn’t know exactly when and how he was going to propose!” She laughed. “What about Gaara?” Rock focused very hard on the bottle he was cleaning.  
     “What about Gaara?” He asked, doing his best to sound casual.  
     “Are you going to tell him?” Tenten asked. She wasn’t going to let Lee wriggle out of this one.  
     “I do not know,” Rock said, shoulders sagging. “I mean, what reason would I have for telling him? He is a Kazekage, running his own village. Why would he wish to know about the unimportant events of my life?” Tenten groaned and rubbed her temples.  
     “Alright Lee, I’m only going to lay this out once, and you better make the right choice. I don’t want you to miss your chance by not speaking up like I did, got it?” Rock nodded to show he was listening.  
     “First, this is not an unimportant event. This is a very fucking important event, and anyone who cares about you would want to know. Second. You don’t want to tell him because you’re embarrassed that you got down and dirty with some girl and not him. Don’t look at me like that. Everyone knows you guys have this weird tension you’ve been dancing around since we were kids,” Tenten said.  
     “She’s right, Bushy Brows!” Naruto called cheerfully from the living room. “There’s even a betting pool!”  
     “You weren’t supposed to tell him that, idiot!” Tenten scolded.  
     “Shh, you’ll wake the baby!” Naruto called back, before cooing at Metal again.  
      “Anyway, the point is, you and Gaara have some sort of thing, and of course he’s going to want to know. Wouldn’t you want to know if the situations were reversed?”  
     “Of course I would want to know!” Rock said.  
     “There you go,” Tenten said.  
     “But, what if he doesn’t want to be friends with me after this?” Rock asked. Tenten threw her hands in the air in frustration.  
     “Naruto, are you hearing this? Maybe we should switch places. You talk sense into Lee and I’ll hold the baby!” Tenten said.  
     “Nuh uh,” Naruto said. “Not happening.”  
     “But Gaara’s practically your best friend! Reassure him!”  
     “Oh! Yeah! There’s no way he would let Rock go over this,” Naruto said.  
     “See,” Tenten prodded. “Lee, just let him know, ok?”  
     “I will think about it,” Rock said. Tenten sighed, but admitted defeat. She’d known Lee long enough to know she wouldn’t get any farther today.  
     “C’mon, Naruto, we better go. You promised Hinata that you would be back before Boruto woke up from his nap.” Naruto laid the sleeping Metal back in his pack and play before turning back to Lee.  
     “Stop by sometime, and we’ll hook you up with the baby things we don’t need,” Naruto said. “Oh! You should go see Shikamaru and Temari! I’m sure they have waaay more stuff than they need, what with his clan being a big deal and her being Suna royalty and all that. Did you see all the packages at the baby shower? It was ridiculous! And that was just the one in the Leaf!”  
     “That is a good idea,” Rock said. “Perhaps I will go see them when Metal wakes up.”  
Naruto waved cheerfully as he and Tenten left the apartment.  
     “I think that’s cheating,” Tenten hissed once the door was closed.  
     “Nothing says I can’t give them a nudge in the right direction,” Naruto said.  
     “If you win the pot for this, you better share,” Tenten said.  
     “Of course! What’s it up to now, anyway?”  
     “Way too fucking much,” Tenten muttered. “We never thought it would take them this long.”

     It took Rock close to 45 minutes to correctly wrap the baby sling Kurenai had given him. “This will be your best friend, trust me,” she had said. “You can carry the baby but still have your hands free.”  
     “Next time this will go faster, I promise,” Rock told Metal. “Your father is still learning the parenting jutsu.” He walked through the village and wondered again if the rumors had started yet, how long it would take before they started to ask him questions, to pry into his life, to judge the choices he made. Rock pushed those thoughts away. Nothing was more important than being a good parent to Metal, and right now that meant asking the Naras for help. He knocked lightly on the door, aware that Shikadai might be sleeping.  
     “I’ve got it,” a voice called from inside. Kankuro opened the door and Rock froze. If Kankuro was here… The sand ninja looked Lee up and down and pulled him into the house.  
     “Today just got a whole lot more interesting,” he said  
     “Yo! Shikamaru, Tema! You’ve got company!” He called. Then, “Follow me, everyone’s in the living room.” Rock followed slowly behind, wondering if this was the worst decision he could have made. But the point remained that he needed baby supplies, and he would suffer any amount of embarrassment for Metal’s sake. He shuffled into the room after Kankuro, who was grinning like this was. The best thing he had seen in weeks. Shikamaru and Temari sat on the couch, watching Shikadai on a blanket on the floor. Gaara knelt on the edge of the blanket waving a fat stuffed cactus toy for the child. The toy stilled as Gaara stared at them. Subconsciously, he wrapped his arms around Metal, still strapped securely to his chest. Rock fought to break eye contact with Gaara, looking instead to Shikamaru and Temari.  
     “I… I came to see if maybe you had some baby supplies that you weren’t using,” Rock said. Shikamaru moved first. He stood up, lazily stretching his arms above his head.  
     “I’m sure we can help out. We have so much, even the most spoiled kid can’t use as much stuff as we got. C’mon, Temari.” Temari took a moment to assess the situation before following her husband out of the room. She put a light hand on Rock’s shoulder on the way out, so quick that Rock wasn’t even sure it happened. Kankuro immediately made grabby hands for Metal.  
     “Can I?” He asked.  
      “I’m honestly not sure how to get out of the wrap,” Rock admitted. Silently, Gaara stood and walked over.  
      “Support him,” Gaara instructed. Rock’s breath hitched as Gaara’s hands brushed his sides, easily undoing the wrap. Rock hesitantly offered Metal to Kankuro, who held him easily in one arm and sat down on the blanket next to Shikadai. He used his chakra strings to make the cactus Gaara had abandoned dance.  
     “Go the the kitchen, I don’t wanna hear this,” Kankuro said. Both ninja started. They had been staring at each other without noticing. “Go,” Kankuro repeated, gesturing with the cactus. Shikadai giggled.  
     “I’ll make tea,” Gaara said. Rock reluctantly followed him into the kitchen.  
     “He’s yours, then?” Gaara asked. His voice was low and gravely and made Rock feel like he couldn’t breathe.  
     “Yes,” he said, once he managed to get his breathing under control.  
     “Who’s the mother?” Gaara asked. Rock looked at his feet, unable to meet the Kazekage’s eyes.  
     “A ninja from another village. I didn’t know… I didn’t even know about Metal until a couple days ago. She… Does not wish to be involved in our lives,” Rock forced out.  
     “She hurt you,” Gaara said. It wasn’t a question. Rock nodded miserably, still not willing to meet Gaara’s stare.  
     “Yes,” he answered anyway.  
     “What happened?” Gaara’s voice still didn’t betray any emotion, and Rock refused to look at him, knowing he would break in some irreparable way if he did.  
     “It was a mission that went south. We barely made it out. She came to me that night… And was gone in the morning. I tried to contact her after that, but I never heard anything back. Not until Metal was left on my doorstep.”  
     “Did you… Love her?” Gaara asked. Rock was sure he imagined the catch in Gaara’s voice.  
     “I liked her very much,” Rock said, barely able to force the words out. “But no, I did not love her. I, I made a choice…” He took a deep breath and finally met Gaara’s eyes.  
     “But I do not regret my son! I will do my best to be a good father to him! To protect him and train him to be a good man!” Whatever he was going to say next was lost in the press of Gaara’s lips to his. Everything stuttered to a halt. The brush of Gaara’s tongue across his lower lip jolted Rock back to full awareness. He gasped, which allowed Gaara to slip his tongue all the way into Rock’s mouth. He was pretty sure neither of them actually knew what they were doing, but that was all right, because it certainly felt nice. Gaara buried his hands in Rock’s hair, and Rock draped his own around Gaara’s waist, using his grip to tug the Kazekage closer. That was the only clear message his brain was sending him, closer, closer. His hands drifted lower, settling on Gaara’s firm backside. Gaara moaned quietly against his mouth.  
     “I wouldn’t go in there,” Kankuro’s voice rang from the living room. “I haven't heard voices for like, a solid two minutes." Gaara and Rock broke apart, both fiercely red.  
     “We, uh, we better go back to the living room,” Rock said, trying desperately to smooth his hair back down. Temari had an armful of baby clothes and Metal was now sporting a onesie that read “I drink until I pass out just like my uncle”. Kankuro was grinning like a maniac when they walked in.  
     “It fits! Isn’t this the greatest?” Kankuro said. He paused, looking between Lee and Gaara before deciding he was going to say what was on his mind regardless of consequences.  
     “Now I have TWO nephews! This shit’s awesome!” Rock went pale and Gaara flushed at the implication. Temari just sighed.  
     “What have I told you about swearing in front of Shikadai? At this rate, his first word is going to be ‘shit’. And no, that is not the greatest.”


End file.
